When we (Elizabeth and Amy) get together, we rummage through our respective liquor cabinets to see if we have anything new and interesting to drink that we can try out on the other. But seeing as how we live across the country from each other—Elizabeth in Buffalo, Amy in California—this doesn't actually happen very often.

Except on Skype. It's actually very pleasant to sit down together with our laptops and our webcams, mix a drink, and have a chat. There's always plenty to talk about when it comes to GardenRant, and most of it does call for a good stiff drink.

There's just one thing missing from our cyber-cocktail hour, and that's you! If only you, our readers, could join us for a drink. Just imagine how perfect that would be.

Well, imagine no longer. Thanks to this groovy software called VodBurner, we're now recording our Skype drinking sessions so that you can enjoy them, too. Now, we're still figuring out the technology, so don't get all film school on us. We'll get it down—and we plan to get out in the garden once in a while. (And who knows! If you're into Skype, maybe we'll invite you to join us on camera sometime!)

We hope you'll gather some ingredients, mix a drink, and settle in with us. If you'd like to drink what we're drinking, you'll need:

Shake with ice, strain, pour into martini glass and garnish with lemon slice studded with a viola blossom. You don't really need a premium gin—Sample does not use one—but I like the way a botanical gin's flavor shines through whatever you blend it with. I have also included a sugar/honey mix, not all honey, which they use, and I find too strong.

Coming soon: drinks with wild hibiscus flowers, bison grass-infused vodka, and more. For the Ball comment we discuss in this video, check this post.

20 Responses to “GardenRant Cocktail Hour: The Pilot”

Hello ladies! My apologies for posting this as a comment, but I could not find an email address anywhere on the site. My sister and I launched http://www.ezgarden.com, and in August, launched our affiliate program (www.ezgarden.com/partners.) I wanted to check with you to see if you participate in affiliate programs. If no, would you be willing to review our software and give us your feedback?

This is the first compelling reason I’ve found to plant pansies in my home garden. Love the drink-decor tip from Elizabeth. Am so checking into that lavender soda and q tonic, too. Amy’s drink was so fast and yet looked so tasty!

Laughing about the George Ball comment. Seriously? He ain’t got nuthin’ better to do than come onto people’s privately-owned blogs and chide them for their language?

Bulbs are like a crazy statement of hope in the future. You take these tiny little lumpy brown things and stick them in the ground and just pray no foraging gopher or raccoon’s gonna dig them up, and pray you’ll remember where they were and not set a pot or something there, and then somehow, against all odds, they come up in spring and surprise the socks off of you.

I take photos of where I stick clients’ bulbs so I don’t dig them up accidentally, but in my own garden I just plunk and pray and enjoy the element of surprise.

Gen–you’re in town, so you are totally coming over for cocktail hour one of these days! and Jean Ann, you too! But maybe not in person. The beta version of Skype promised multi-person videoconferencing, but if you know how many technical kinks Eliz and I had to work through to get this far, you’d know that getting three or more on at once is probably but a faraway dream. So we’ll do a one-on-one.

Benjamin–we take advantage of you even when you’re not drunk. Haven’t you noticed?

This is clearly the best thing I’ve seen all day.Garden looks crappy(as opposed to shitty) baseball games don’t go my way, and ants have invaded the 2nd floor bathroom . Howver, all is forgotten after this splendid virtual cocktail party..cheers !

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Ivette Soler Commented on The Other Garden { Or it could be a series - each garden designer / writer / lover exploring their "Other Gardens", locally and around the world! SWOON!!!!! } – Mar 31, 11:05 AM

tara dillard Commented on Clinging to big chem { Expand this topic/post into an article worthy of, perhaps, WSJ. Include types of homeowners who like to garden/don't like to garden, their garden knowledge, amount... } – Mar 31, 8:38 AM